SHARE presents to legislators of the Northeast

words and photos by Hailey Choi

Natasha Nayak (NJMS '12) introducing Student Sight Savers.

The leaders of SHARE were given an opportunity to present our programs and activities to the state legislators of the Northeastern states at a luncheon held at New Jersey Medical School, on Thursday, August 20th, 2009.

The luncheon was part of a 3-day program called Legislators in the Lab, intended for assemblymen and senators from Northeastern states to become more familiar with the medical schools of the area. The National Press Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) and NJMS also publicized the event to others. A news article about the event can be found here.

Leaders of the 7 different sub-organizations of SHARE, as well as the SHARE executive board, put together a brief 15-minute presentation that summarized the various community service projects initiated and carried out by the students of NJMS. The leaders hoped to present the student initiative and dedication to community service, a value that is one of the strongest points at New Jersey Medical School.

NJMS is located in the inner city of Newark, NJ, where there are many underserved populations. The students interact with the community in multiple occasions, from offering health screenings, tutoring, free clinic, to leader empowerment. The goal of SHARE is not only to offer the abilities of the students at NJMS, but also to promote a continuous relationship with the community and for the students to learn from the community leaders.

Thomas Eck (NJMS '12) presenting Student Sight Savers.

On their evaluations, the legislators remarked that they had gained a complete understanding of the medical school's relationship with the community through participating in the Legislators in the Lab program. They rated SHARE programs to be one of the most informative and itneresting points of the 3-day program. All participants felt that the student program and involvement should be a major part of future programs.

From the interaction of the legislators with the student leaders, they seemed very impressed with not only the student efforts in community service, but also by their professionalism. Many commended the powerpoint presentation and the students' expertise in describing their activities. The student-run free clinic, SFHCC (Student Family Health Care Center), peaked the interest of many. A 2-hour tour of the clinic in the evening was also included as part of the program.

Carmen Castilla (NJMS '12) and Puja Shah (NJMS '12) represent STATS (Students Teaching AIDS to Students)

For the student leaders, the luncheon provided a chance to publicize SHARE activities at NJMS and also to practice presenting their various programs in a formal setting. The student leaders were also given time to sit at tables with the legislators and converse with them - answering any questions and curiosities. After finishing the presentation and interacting with the legislators, the student leaders left for their classes feeling proud and hoping that their presentation made a difference.

bensi-sponsored orientation lunch

written by Hailey Choi

Do you like pasta? We know we do!

Many thanks to bensi for helping us out with our Orientation Lunch on Monday, August 10th, 2009. We provided our incoming first-year medical students with quality Italian food and fed their hearts with some inspirations for community service.

Thank you for caring,
from SHARE at NJMS.

Cares Day: painting the halls of Covenant House

written by Hailey Choi
we offer good quality painting

and smiles.

As an opportunity to meet fellow students for the first time and helping the community, SHARE Cares Day was an important pre-event for Orientation Week for the Class of 2013 at New Jersey Medical School. Over 65 first-year students as well as a good handful of second-year students gathered at 10:45am on a Sunday morning to have some messy fun and make friends.

Two bus-loads of eager students took off from NJMS for Covenant House in Newark, NJ. Covenant House is a shelter for the at-risk youngsters of Newark, providing a safe home as well as social, emotional, and educational care for teenagers and young adults. Covenant House was in need of some hands to re-paint the walls of the cafeteria and to organize its supply of donated clothes.
The first-year students were able to engage in some hands-on activity and also learn about the community of Newark through an informational tour of Covenant House.

the staff at Covenant House, including Janette and Mike, with SHARE t-shirts

The gracious hands at Covenant House also fed our hungry student group a hot lunch.

more friends-making over a hot lunch

The student turn-out and response for SHARE Cares Day was bright and optimistic. The first-year students found the event's relaxed environment a nice way to reduce the anxiety of beginning medical school. Many replied, "it was a good way to meet new people". The only

downside was that there was a lot of down-time. We had over 65 student volunteers, and limited jobs. One of the projects scheduled for the day was canceled last minute. The down-time, however, may not have been such a bad thing, as it may have given the students more time for socializing. (Who knows how much time you have for socializing in medical school?)

SHARE has been organizing Cares Day for many years. We have been paining various parts of Covenant House since 2006. We find that it's a good open environment, where a large group of students can engage in one activity, which is crucial as a prelude to the start of school.
We hope that our work at Covenant House - aside from letting us have fun - would provide the youths of Newark with a cleaner, refreshed home brushed with hands that care for the community. Thanks to all those who helped, and please be on the lookout for more great SHARE activities throughout the year!

medical-student-painters after a day's hard work.

Our event was mentioned in the Star Ledger!